E-Water Evolution of Water and Sewerage Services in Hämeenlinna
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E-WAter Official Publication of the European Water Association (EWA) © EWA 2007 Petri S. Juuti1 & Tapio S. Katko2 & Riikka P. Rajala3 & Osmo T. Seppälä4 Evolution of water and sewerage services in Hämeenlinna, Finland, 1800-2000 ABSTRACT This paper aims at discussing key long-term strategic decisions and changes concerning the evolution of water and sanitation services in Hämeenlinna, Southern Finland. After a debate of three decades the construction of the water and sewage works was completed in 1910. In the early 19th century the hygienic conditions in Hämeenlinna were poor since the city was densely built-up and “half marshland, half surrounded by lakes with muddy shores where water flowed so slowly that it appeared to stand still”. Groundwater from the Ahvenisto esker area instead of a lake was selected as the raw water source. Water consumption increased rapidly in the 1950s and a surface water plant on Lake Katuma was constructed in 1955, doubled in 1960 but taken out of use 1980. Since 1976 artificial groundwater has been used. The Paroinen wastewater treatment plant began its operations in 1966 as an activated sludge plant. In addition to Hämeenlinna’s own wastewaters, the Paroinen plant has also purified the wastewaters of Hattula, the neighbouring municipality, since 1974. A supra-municipal water and wastewater services joint-stock company owned by Hämeenlinna Town and neighbouring municipalities, Hämeenlinna Region Water Supply and Sewerage Ltd., was established in 2001. In 2007 the company takes care of water services in the Hämeenlinna region. Water supply is fully based on groundwater or artificial groundwater. KEY WORDS Water supply, sewerage, evolution, services, environmental history, Hämeenlinna, Finland 1 University of Tampere, Department of History, FI-33014 University of Tampere, FINLAND 2 Tampere University of Technology, P.O. Box 541, FI-33101 Tampere, FINLAND 3 Tampere University of Technology, P.O. Box 541, FI-33101 Tampere, FINLAND 4 Espoo Water, P.O. Box 6000, FI-02070 Espoon kaupunki, FINLAND 1 E-WAter Official Publication of the European Water Association (EWA) © EWA 2007 TIIVISTELMÄ Hämeenlinnassa olosuhteet 1800-luvun alkupuolella olivat hyvin huonot. Kaupunki oli rakennettu hyvin taajaan ja se oli lisäksi puoliksi liejurantaisen veden ympäröimä. Vuoden 1831 suuri tulipalo hävitti yli puolet kaupungin rakennuksista. Suurtuhon jälkeen tontteja laajennettiin ja taaja rakennuskanta poistui. Ensimmäisen toteutetun vesilaitos- ja viemäröintisuunnitelman teki insinööri Hugo Lilius vuonna 1908. Vedenottopaikaksi valittiin Ahveniston järven eteläpuolella oleva Ämmänsuo-niminen notko, jonka alla oli todettu olevan riittävästi pohjavettä. Yhdessä vesilaitoksen kanssa valmistui myös viemärilaitos vuonna 1910. Valmistuessaan Hämeenlinnan vesi- ja viemärilaitos oli järjestyksessään kahdeksas Suomen kaupunkien vesihuoltolaitoksista. Vedentarpeen lisääntyessä Ahvenistolle rakennettiin kaksi kuilukaivoa vuonna 1942. Vuonna 1953 veden kulutus nousi lähes 20 prosenttia. Tällöin päätettiin rakentaa Katuman pintavesilaitos, joka otettiin käyttöön vuonna 1955. Ahvenistolle rakennettiin kolme uutta kaivoa 1966, mutta pohjaveden otto harjusta oli vähitellen laskenut pohjaveden pintaa. Asiaa tutkittiin ja 1976 rakennettiin Alajärven tekopohjavedenottamo. Tällä tavoin saatiin harjualueen pohjaveden pinta kohoamaan ja vedenottoa Ahvenistolla voitiin lisätä. Katuman pintavesilaitos jäi varalaitokseksi vuonna 1980. Paroisten jätevedenpuhdistamo aloitti toimintansa vuonna 1966 biologisena aktiivilietelaitoksena, jonne ryhdyttiin johtamaan jätevesiä Hattulasta vuonna 1974. Kehitystyö ja tutkimus jatkuvat Hämeenlinnan seudulla edelleen. Tekopohjaveden valmistuksessa esiintyneiden ongelmien vuoksi on Hämeenlinnassa ryhdytty tutkimaan ns. sadetusta, jossa vesi johdetaan harjunrinteille sadetusputkistojen kautta. Hämeenlinnan seutukuntaan kuuluu kahdeksan kuntaa. Vuonna 2001 perustettiin Hämeenlinnan Seudun Vesi Oy, joka huolehtii alueen vesihuollosta Janakkalaa lukuun ottamatta. 1. INTRODUCTION, OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE Finland is a country with rich water resources. There are some 56 000 lakes with minimum diameter of 200 meters, and the landscape is largely dominated by lakes, especially in the central and eastern parts. Until the year 1809 Finland was part of the kingdom of Sweden and then attached to the Russian empire as an autonomous Grand Duchy. The country became an independent republic in 1917. Häme castle was founded at the end of the 13th century and it is one of Finland’s medieval royal castles. Its first well -12 metres deep lined with stones - was built at the same time as the castle. However, waste and rain water leaked into it, polluting the water that could be used only for firefighting purposes. Häme castle started as a fortified camp, but gradually it was built to be a residential castle for its commandant. Curtain wall buildings and a third storey 2 E-WAter Official Publication of the European Water Association (EWA) © EWA 2007 were added at the end of the 18th century. Related to the water supply of the castles, water was rarely drunk as is. It was used to brew beer and boiled. Thus, drinking the water in this form was much safer; several litres of beer per person were consumed each day. Water was also used for defensive purposes. For example, the safety of the Häme castle was increased in the 1770–80’s by digging massive moats around the castle.[1] The City of Hämeenlinna was founded in 1639. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Hämeenlinna had severe problems concerning wells. Many were placed too close to the cattle yard muck pit, sometimes just 3.5–5 meters away. Since keeping the cattle was still common and sanitation was almost non-existent, domestic waters were polluted. [2] Nowadays Hämeenlinna Region includes eight municipalities: Hämeenlinna Town, Hattula, Hauho, Janakkala, Kalvola, Lammi, Renko and Tuulos municipalities (Fig.1). Hämeenlinna Region Water Supply and Sewerage Ltd. was founded in 2001 and in May 2006 it took care of water services in the region except for Janakkala. In the Hämeenlinna region groundwater sources are good and there are also quite many lakes; among others Lake Vanajavesi, Ahvenistonjärvi, Katuma, Alajärvi and many more. So, in the early history of water supply issue was not the lack of water, issue was how to utilize these water resources. Figure 1. Location of Hämeenlinna town and its neighbouring municipalities (http://www.hameenlinna.fi/english/) (viewed on 3.3.2006). The objective of this paper is to describe the evolution of water supply and sewerage services in Hämeenlinna town from the first initiatives from the 1880s to 2005 and analyse the key strategic episodes and decisions over the years. 3 E-WAter Official Publication of the European Water Association (EWA) © EWA 2007 This multidisciplinary paper combines the views of historian and water engineering scientists represented by the authors. It uses various types of sources: archives, literature, and project documents. A systematic analysis of the city and waterworks archives and the literature was made. Articles in local newspapers, and available histories of the city were also reviewed. Open-ended theme interviews of 26, present or past, staff members of the waterworks were conducted, representing all levels of the utility. Besides, visits to the works were an essential component of the project. [3] First, the article describes the early developments in water supply and sewerage in Hämeenlinna before the founding of the actual water and sewage works. To that extent the text is based on historical accounts of the general development of the Town of Hämeenlinna. Thereafter, the needs of fire-fighting water and hygiene as well as the decision of using ground water and far-sighted planning of wastewaters are presented. Early cooperation and even resistance of the system are then presented, followed by rising water consumption and new intakes based first on surface water and later artificial recharge. Gradually the Water and Sewerage Works started cooperation in water buying and selling and sewage receiving, and finally, the recent establishment of a regional water and sewerage company, owned by Hämeenlinna town and its five neighbouring municipalities will be discussed. 2. SELECTED ISSUES AND PHENOMENA 2.1 Fire-fighting water and hygiene boosted the public system Fires, and the water required to put them out, were crucial in making Finnish towns realize that they must develop water supply systems. This was the case also in Hämeenlinna. For instance, a fire that started in December 1876 burned almost out of control as a result of an inadequate supply of fire-fighting water. After the fire, Governor von Ammondt demanded an explanation for the poor outcome of the fire-fighting efforts. It was discovered that in addition to the inadequate water supply, the fire alarm had been given too late.[4] In the 1880s city fathers started to regard the shortage of water as an increasingly serious problem which resulted in a number of initiatives. The first extensive proposal was prepared by the agronomist Bremer in 1889 commissioned by the town council. He suggested that water be drawn from Lake Ahvenisto, but no action followed. The detailed proposal by the merchant F. Kiuttu for the construction of a water pipe at the end of 1890 had a similar fate.[5] In August 1880 a Public Health Decree came into force in Finland which required establishing special boards for overseeing public health. The first documented meeting